British minister says Cyprus talks should be speeded up

The British minister said that clearing land mines was an important step, and vital to normalize the situation in Cyprus.

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11 Şubat 2009 Çarşamba 09:40

A British minister saw on Tuesday some opportunities to solve Cyprus problem.

Caroline Flint, the minister for Europe at the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, said there was an opportunity to resolve Cyprus problem.

However, this opportunity was not eternal, Flint told a press conference at the buffer zone in Cyprus after his talks in the island.

Flint said that Turkey was showing that it was supporting a settlement, but expressed her hope that Turkey would show its support for a settlement more in coming days.

Although the negotiation process was challenging, it was obvious that some progress had been made since her last visit to Cyprus, Flint said.

Flint said that talks should be speeded up, and told reporters that Britain was supporting United Nations (UN) efforts for a bi-zonal and bi-communal federal settlement based on political equality of the two parties in the island.

Britain did not want to intervene in the process because the problem should be solved by the Cypriots, she said.

Flint said that there was still more to be done in the island, but every one could clearly see the commitment of the two leaders.

The British minister said that clearing land mines was an important step, and vital to normalize the situation in Cyprus.

Flint earlier had a meeting with President Mehmet Ali Talat of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).